Auburn football: Tigers take leap with 2014 recruiting class

With an extensive list of 4 and 5-star recruits, the Auburn football program is likely to impress once again.

In true Gus Malzahn fashion, the list of recruits includes numerous offensive powerhouses including 5-star wide receiver D’haquille Williams and running back Racean Thomas. He also grabbed an impressive 4-star quarterback, Sean White, out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Not that he necessarily needs another quarterback.

To pump up the lengthening list of quarterbacks, Malzahn added friend and high school head coach Bobby Bentley to his staff as an offensive analyst that will strictly focus on quarterbacks.

Unlike Gus Malzahn’s offensively-driven recruiting tactics, he also added a long list of defensive backs, defensive tackles, and defensive ends.

So, will we see a shift from an intense focus on offense to an all-encompassing powerhouse?

Only time will tell.

Either way, the Auburn Tigers will remain a leader in the run for National Championship contention.

What has to change for that dream to become a reality?

Auburn has proven that they can execute an immaculate Hail Mary in the fourth quarter, but there are 45 minutes of unrequited fierce football that have yet to be played by the 2013 SEC Champions.

There is no question that Malzahn is an extremely well-versed coach.

In the last of the BCS National Title games, fans saw a glimmer of thorough and driving SEC offense within the first two quarters, somewhat of a 180 from previous games against Alabama and Texas A&M.

Not to say that the Tigers can’t hold their own among cutthroat SEC opponents or in the college football world in general. But if the Tigers want to make it through the new playoff system, changes in the management of talent and time.

Nail-biting 4th quarters get attention and make for wonderful entertainment, but putting the hearts of fans in the lurch will eventually get old. Clean wins make National Champions.

It may be the most utmost form of blasphemy to compare the strategies of Auburn and Alabama, especially considering the ending to the 2013 Iron Bowl, but it is hard to not compare the two rivals.

To college football coaches, it seemed impossible to top the offensive theories of the legendary Nick Saban and his staff, but Gus Malzahn seems to have figured out how to revolutionize the already revolutionary. Not only that, but Malzahn also seems to have discovered the holes in the Alabama-era offense that will inevitably contribute to the success of the Tiger defense.

Hence the most notable upset of the Auburn season.

For two years, Alabama was the team to beat. Auburn did that.

Unfortunately, Auburn is also beating Auburn.

Give Malzahn some time. After all, he only has two solid years of college head coaching experience under his belt, even though some may say that his coaching endeavors at Shiloh Christian High School in Arkansas were pretty close to college material.

In the world of SEC recruiting, Malzahn has an edge that only one of the most successful high school coaches in the south could obtain.

Malzahn knows exactly what he wants and exactly what to look for in high school seniors that will benefit his team in the long run. Don’t forget his hankering for a few good Junior College players as well. He values their hard work and knows that he can take their skills to the next level.

Unfortunately, the Tigers did have a bit of disappointment when on signing day. A few crucial recruits decided against Auburn, including Rashaan Evans, a 5-star linebacker from Auburn High who made the switch from his verbal commit to Alabama on signing day.

Malzahn took the news well and remained focused on the top 10 recruiting class and the future of his team.

If you are speculating as to future NFL draft picks, Auburn is not a team to be overlooked.

As far as 2014 goes, the Auburn Tigers have room to grow and develop whatever Gus Malzahn has up his sleeve with the new recruiting class.

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About Ashleigh Giovannini

Ashleigh Giovannini is currently studying English, Sports Management, and Pre-Medicine at the University of Arkansas. She has always been a sports aficionado and enjoys voicing her opinion in all things sports. Her favorites include the Green Bay Packers, Juventus F.C., UNC Basketball, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the SEC--namely the Arkansas Razorbacks. Ashleigh is well-versed in the rules, regulations, and concepts of many sports and works to learn more each day.